Highland Village Fire Department Achieves Full Staffing Levels

On Monday, November 16, three new employees started working in the Highland Village Fire Department. Those three new employees are significant for several reasons. First, their salaries and benefits are being funded by a SAFER Grant, which was awarded to the Highland Village Fire Department. This SAFER Grant is a tremendous assistance to the city, as it relieves a substantial burden for the next five years from the Highland Village General Fund Budget in funding Fire Department personnel needs. Secondly, for the first time ever, Highland Village will have the ability to schedule a five person shift on each A, B, and C shift.  Each shift will provide EMS and Fire Protection with a paid professional staff 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 52 weeks to protect, serve, and provide the public safety that is expected by Highland Village residents. 

This day marks the achievement of a goal that began nearly 9 years ago. The Highland Village Fire Department initiated a plan to move from a combination paid and volunteer staff to a full paid staff to meet the Emergency Medical Service and Fire Protection needs of our community. Over the last nine years the Fire Department has added 16 new positions with no impact in raising the city’s existing tax structure. Many of those who filled these positions have been dedicated volunteers who chose to make a career with Highland Village.

Mayor Dianne Costa states “Through growth of residential and commercial, through changes in council leadership the goal for a full service EMS and Fire Department has remained a constant priority. The achievement of this goal speaks to the leadership and quality of our Fire Department personnel and city staff.”

Also during this time the initiative to address the City’s ISO rating was successful in lowering the rating from a 5 to a 2 which provides significant savings on our resident’s homeowners insurance. Additionally, in 2008 the Fire Department moved from their 14 year “temporary” facility into a new voter approved state of the art fire house that will meet needs of the city for years to come.

”I would like to thank so many individuals - all of our past Fire Department volunteers, for serving and protecting at the time of need; to our past and present City Council members for supporting this plan and lastly to Chief Lonnie Tatum for his leadership during this time of growth and change in the Fire Department,” stated City Manager Michael Leavitt.